


Summer Lovin'

by lonelyst8r



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, First Meetings, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mermaid Jongin, Seaside, Summer, Summer Love, college student sehun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:27:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27834520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonelyst8r/pseuds/lonelyst8r
Summary: Binge-watching Netflix shows, copious amounts of ice cream, and laying in front of the AC are all on Sehun's summer bucket list, but not mermaids. Definitely not mermaids.
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	Summer Lovin'

**Author's Note:**

> This is a repost of a fic I posted on a different account a while back, but I've edited it a bit now so it's a lot smoother :D Hopefully this reaches new readers as well ^^ I was originally gonna make this a short fic, but nothing came of it so take this (very short) drabble. I'm actually quite proud of it as it's a departure from the style I usually employ. Anyways, happy reading! 
> 
> *Newcastor is a fictional city

Summers in Newcastor are always hot, it’s a given, it’s guaranteed, and it’s one of the things that Sehun hates about the summer. He hates how slowly it passes by, how the days seem to stretch out for miles and miles. This summer is no different, and Sehun is cooped up in his parent’s beach house yet again, scrolling on his phone as he lies down in front of the AC, sweat pools on his forehead and drips down anyways, today’s the hottest day of the year, and even if they’re by the beach, Sehun can’t find it in himself to garner enough energy to go down and swim. The house is almost silent, the deafening buzz of the AC has long grown numb to Sehun’s ears, and he finds himself more transfixed on whether or not he should go out for a sundae, if the walk is _really_ worth it. 

But he finds himself walking out of the house, a mini electric fan in his left hand, and his phone in the other. There’s barely anyone out on the streets, and all the stores are crammed with people desperate to escape the heat - Sehun being one of them - as he towers over the very _very_ crowded shop. All the tables are taken, and even the spaces between the tables are full of people standing, waiting to jump at a chance to get a table. He sighs, counting the dollar bills in his hand before shoving them in his jeans again, and losing himself in his thoughts before snapping back to reality when the small girl at the register with a shrill voice asks what he wants. He flinches at the sound, especially when it’s accompanied by the cacophony of other customers’ voices and employees shouting in the back for condensed milk and more ice cream. He hands her the dollar bills and steps outside, preferring even the summer heat to the body heat in the store. His eyes wander over to the ocean, a few shops, and a frontier of sand away. It looks seductive, tantalizing when it glimmers in the rays of the sun. It’s practically begging for Sehun to jump in it. He almost forgets about the ice cream until a girl taps his shoulder. She’s smiling sheepishly, like she’s scared Sehun will lash out at her. 

“Excuse me? Your ice cream has been ready for quite a bit...” he hears, the voice is soft and unassuming, he turns around to face the girl, he’s horrified to see that the girl is really pretty, while he is...well, he’s _extremely sweaty_. He might have to frequent the shop some more, he thinks. He blushes, secretly thanking the heat for the already present flush on his cheeks.

“Ah thank you,” 

The girl smiles back.“There are some tables inside now, a few of the customers have cleared up…” her voice wisps away.

He chuckles awkwardly, smiling. “Good idea,”

-

When the sun has begun to set, Sehun walks down to the beach, a small breeze is blowing now, and he lets the gusts of wind run through his hair. He feels the sand scratch against his legs, and looks down at his feet, buried under the beige matter, before returning his gaze to the shore. It’s empty now. Most people have left, leaving behind their trash. Sehun gazes at the wrappers and soda cans blowing around the sand with irritation, picking up a few and throwing them into a nearby trashcan as he walks further down to the shore, where the waves caress the sandy front. The sun is far gone now, a little sliver of light resting on the ocean. He smiles to himself as some seagulls caw in the distance. He likes it like this, the loneliness and the shy noises from the ocean. _This,_ this is why he comes down to Newcastor every summer. His thoughts are disturbed by the splashing of water in the distance. As he shifts his gaze out to the ocean from the shorefront, he discovers a large tail dipping in and out of the water with lithe movements. At first glance, he believes the creature to be a dolphin, from the curve of its tail and playful movement, but dolphins do not swim alone, nor do they swim close to the shores of Newcastor. He watches as the creature swims closer with a fixed, innocent delight. The last rays of the sun still shine, clinging onto the last bits of the waves, and Sehun can’t see the creature too clearly, but when he hears the splashes get closer, he finds himself wondering what sort of sea creature would swim closer to shore. His heart beats against his chest and he swallows hard, he expects to see a washed-up shark even, a huge fish - something normal, not a pretty boy with round lips and eyes that twinkle like stars. It appears that the boy doesn’t expect to see him either, judging from his wide eyes and his gasp.

Sehun can’t help that he rambles when he’s nervous or excited, and this is _definitely_ one of those moments. His jaw is agape as he struggles to spit out a coherent sentence. “You’re - what are you?”

The boy, the _merman_ , mumbles, eyes still blown open. “You’re not supposed to be here,”

Sehun lets a bright grin slip onto his lips, the merman looks a little disturbed by it, but Sehun can’t find it in himself to notice because really, who would even consider the possibility of mermaids existing if not for little kids? That’s supposed to be the stuff of fairytales, not reality. The person sitting on the shore sitting across him is a total contradiction of those thoughts though, and Sehun feels himself being lulled into a trance, reminiscent of the times when he was a little boy, and his mother read him books about badass pirates and pretty mermaids.

“Holy shit,” he wheezes out. “Y-you’re a mermaid - merman,”

The boy gulps, looking a little nervous, like he doesn’t want to be there. “Um, yeah,”

Sehun studies the boy, looking him up and down. “You're - Are you...real?”

He chuckles apprehensively, giving Sehun a wary, curious look. “Um, yeah? I’m sitting in front of you right now, aren’t I?” 

Sehun nods slowly, letting his eyes wander all over the merman’s body, watching in amazement at the way the water reflects off the boy’s soft, tan skin, and as he wiggles his tail a bit, the scales - a brilliant array of iridescent corals and pink - gleam. His hands and stomach shimmer too, patches of scales delicate against the bronze of his skin. His hair is a brilliant shade of brown, like the color of fresh earth. Straight out of a fairytale. Sehun grins childishly, his eyes curling into the shape of crescent moons. “I’m Sehun,” he extends a hand out, offering it to the merman.

The merman stares at his hand oddly.

“Uh, I’m Jongin,” he tilts his head and points to Sehun’s hand. “What do you want me to do with it?”

Sehun blushes and draws his hand away. “Oh, right...nevermind,”

-

“So you come onto the shores every evening?” asks Sehun, voice trembling. He can barely contain himself - here he is, sitting right by a mermaid. Not even the most bizarre of his dreams would render such a scene. 

“Yes well...there aren’t supposed to be any...land-dwellers around here, there haven’t been, not since I started coming out here,” says Jongin softly, tail brushing against the sand and water.

Sehun grins sheepishly, offering Jongin a polite grin as he winces. “Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to intrude,”

The boy shakes his head, smiling off into the distance. “S’fine,”

Sehun tries to hide his glee, but it’s evident in his voice, if only the merman had been as excited to see a _land-dweller_. 

“It’s pretty far off from the main beach, this place…why are you here?” he asks, tone cautious. Sehun jumps a little.

“Oh, my parents own a summer home here,” he replies.

Jongin cocks his head. “Summer home?” he asks apprehensively. 

“There are these things that humans live in, those...we go to them in the summer,” he points to the row of houses in the distance behind them. 

He nods in understanding. “Ah, interesting. I guess that’s just a human thing,”

Sehun smiles bashfully, looking at the boy with shy curiosity. He lets the silence settle between them, listening closely to the sounds of waves licking at the sand.

“I um...I come down here, every summer. I guess I got carried away and walked too far from the main beach. I uh...I’m sorry about that,” he begins. Jongin only mumbles a "That's okay,", nodding and letting the sound of the waves take over.

“It’s late, you should get going, Sehun,” he says suddenly, the sky is streaked in purple, the sun has long left - in its wake is a world of blue and darkness. Sehun tears his eyes away from Jongin and frowns, Jongin is right. It’s beginning to get dark now. Finding his way back home will be a pain if he doesn’t start now. He turns back to Jongin.

“Will you be here tomorrow?” he asks, brows furrowed. 

Jongin smiles. “I’m here every day,”

That night, Sehun walks away with a lightheartedness in his chest, pretty girl at the bingsu shop long forgotten.

**Author's Note:**

> Plugging myself [here](https://twitter.com/lonelyst8r) (my Twitter) and [here](https://curiouscat.me/lonelyst8r) (CuriousCat) :D Let's scream about Sekai together and talk about prompt ideas! As always, comments and kudos are much appreciated ^^ Thank you for reading!


End file.
